Advice wanted to fit a whammy bar to a Fender Squire Mustang with normal bridge. Various questions as never fitted one before:
a) Is it just a matter of replacing the existing bridge with the tremolo bridge in the exactly the same location?---same fixing screw holes?
b) If so is the Fender bridge and whammy bar the best to buy? Or is there a better alternative? Make? _(Beware of cheap imitations?)
c) Where the strings go through the body of the guitar do the string holes need to be re-located?
Or leave the bridge change-over to a qualified tech?
Looking forward to your replies. Many thanks.
Last edited by swingtoneman; 03-01-2024 at 02:09 PM.
Reason: To add photo
If you're not sure or have to ask, you might want to hire this one out. For example, if your string spacing on your new bridge differs at all, you might wind up with a string sliding of the neck every time you play. Can't tell if a replacement is going to drop in to your guitar or require some drilling or routing. The typical Fender Strat trem has rectangular hole through body and large cavity on the back where the springs are.
You need to route out that body to get a Mustang tremolo to fit. In my opinion, it's not worth the cost. A Classic Vibe Mustang, which has tremolo, is about $400 on Reverb.
The Mustang vibrato system is a completely different size and shape from the fixed bridge you have. It has holes in different places, and it requires you to cut a cavity into the body for the springs. It can't just be bolted on in place of what you have. I think that would be a very challenging DIY project, or very expensive to have a tech do it. I suspect it would be cheaper and more effective to sell yours and buy one that has a factory vibrato in it.
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